France Hit by Rare and Powerful Earthquakes

A rare earthquake, believed to be between magnitude 5.2 and 5.8, hit western France on Friday evening, damaging homes, schools, and churches. Around 170 people were relocated from the town of La Laigne, with hundreds of buildings declared uninhabitable. Earthquakes above magnitude five are unusual in France, with the last affecting the country in November 2019. The Charente-Maritime region just north of Bordeaux was particularly affected. The government has initiated an accelerated natural disaster recognition procedure to help quickly assess the structural damage to buildings.